Anzac Day 2023

Today is the 25 April 2023 which marks a day of remembrance for those who fought and died for Australia’s during the wars. I woke up prior to dawn to attend the local ANZAC dawn service with  hundreds of others in the community. It was great to be part of this service and remember history.

My passion for history including modern history of the Two World Wars dates back to when I was a teenager when I had a great history teacher. As a result, I incorporated this interest with the interest in modelling and during my teens I modelled many a Airfix and Matchbox 1/72 scale model tanks and armoured vehicles. 

Bringing the military modelling into the layout 

Fast forward to today, since building my layout,  I sought to incorporate military modelling in my layout. I included my first military modelling back in April 2020,  https://innerwesthoscale.blogspot.com/2020/04/from-hiatus-to-isolation-work.html. and still wanted to do more. 

Apart from the SDS NSW TE Flat wagons with Centurion Tank loads, there is very little of  military rolling stock commercially available. This means I needed to research and find what were the prototype miliary loads that would show some variety and were used by the Australian armed forces that  I could use as a load. 

I already had a Wiking Land Rover and more recently acquired a Roco Saladin Mark 1 armoured vehicle  both which were part of the Australian army vehicles. I also really liked Half-tracks and had a Matchbox Battle Kings M3 A1 but after some research I didn’t find that these were used by the Australian army during WWII.

White Scout  M3 Car

Above: Completed, painted and tarped White Scout  M3 Car on a NSW KF flat wagon on military train.

After some research on the internet and searching Australian military vehicle museum collections, I found various armoured vehicles in which to model (Army Museum Bandiana, Wodonga) https://armymuseumbandiana.com.au/. With the advancement of 3D printing, I found on Ebay various armoured vehicles that could be modelled, in lieu of a Half-track, I found a suitable alternative, a White Scout M3 Car. One built up version readily available is the Artitec M3A1 White Scout Car. However, the cost is quite prohibitive over $60 AUD and it is already decaled up in US army livery. 

Painting and Detailing

Rather than painting it in army green I decided to paint it in desert camouflage, including a tarp. The painting of desert camouflage was achieved by painting the whole vehicle in a dark green colour and then upon drying covering the whole model in masking tape and then cutting the camouflage shapes in which to paint the light desert tan colour. 

The tarp roof was made using foam and then topped with tissue paper with diluted white glue to give it a tight look. It was then painted a earth brown colour. 

Above: 3D print of the model prior to priming and painting. 

I found a photo on the internet that used as a reference for the load. 

Above: White Scout truck on a KF flat wagon.*

Reference

* https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/image/17420_a014_a014001313

The Forward Look

 

Above: Finished model of the Chrysler Dealership on "King Street" on the Wardell layout. 

Modelling our Obsessions 

Apart from trains, my other obsessions are classic cars, buses and trams. My favourite era of cars are the 1950s and 1960s as a result beside my collection of HO Scale locomotives and rolling stock, I also have a large collection of 260 HO Scale vehicles. I am also fulfilled a life long dream of owning a classic 1950s car, despite the fact that is is original and requires a lot of TLC and time. 

Any chance to model a diorama or building that can display my vehicles is a bonus. 

Background and Research

I wanted to model a dealership in the 1950s and me being a Chrysler fan I wanted to model a Chrysler Dealership. Dealerships in the early to mid century were positioned in the cities and inner city suburbs, where they were a lot smaller in land size before the highways and open sprawl of suburbia My model of the dealership had to represent that. 

The other notable observations of dealerships in the 1950s is that they sold a number of different brands. Dealers that sold Holdens also sold Chevrolet and  Vauxhall. Chrysler  dealerships also sold the French Brand cars, Simca, Plymouth, Desoto and Dodge,

Below are examples of photos of Chrysler Dealerships, I have found on the internet. 

https://www.facebook.com/lostwarrnambool/photos/a.162330021138879/1126092941429244/

http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=14389&start=11101

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1445251256283256&set=gm.6007512982674359&idorvanity=842236972535345

Modelling the Dealership

I was looking for model building that represented a early to mid century car showroom. After searching the internet, I found a card kit made a supplier in the United Kingdom, Kingsway Models

https://www.kingswaymodels.com/. This is a OO 1/76 scale kit and I requested the supplier if they could shrink the kit to 1/87 scale. 

Above: Opened kit before construction

The kit is a low relief kit that comes with various signs. However, the signs represent British names and had to be replaced with white card and new signage made. 

Above: the original built kit before customising

Signage

In order to Australianise the building and also represent a Chrysler Dealership, I needed to have the correct signage. I had some left over model letters from a Heljan shopping centre kit and and cut out the letters and painted each of the Chrysler brands in alternative red and blue colours. 

I also wanted 1950s neon signage and found a sign that would of hung outside the dealerships in the 1950s and made the sign using a couple of layers of 0.75mm styrene sheets. 

https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/Magnificent-1940s-50s-Chrysler-Plymouth-single-sided-porcelain-dealership-sign-220451

In the mid 1950s, Chrysler Australia was finding it tough to compete against Holden and Ford. In an endeavour to make the cars more model looking, the Forward Look program was released in the USA but also across the globe. The cars were more sleeker and sharper styling such as tailfins and more appointments in interior and accessories. Australia reduced the number of models and released the South Australian built Chrysler Royal AP1 in 1957 which differed to the Dodge Royal. 

Although the Chrysler Royal was well appointed and had plenty of power with the V8 option in didn't sell as well as expected. It wasn't until the introduction of the Valiant that Chrysler Australia sold well. 

For my dealership, I used the following models:

Inside the Showroom:

Manufacturer            Brand                    Model                            Year

Norev                         Simca                   Aronde  P60                 1958

SAI                            Simca                   Vedette Beaulieu           1959

EKO                          Desoto                   Diplomat                      1957

MadaboutCars           Dodge                   Royal                            1957

Outside the Showroom:

Manufacturer                    Brand                    Model                            Year

Classic Metal Works          Dodge                  Meadowbrook              1950

Oxford Diecast                  Chrysler                 300  Convertible         1961

Classic Metal Works          Desoto                   Sedan                          1950

Oxford Diecast                  Desoto                   Suburban                      1946

No HO scale vehicle is available for my vehicle so I will need to get someone to do a 3D print in lieu of that I have made a billboard on top of the dealership to spruce the "latest" Australian Chrysler model.